Sealing packages



H. E. STOVER ET Al,

Jan. 12, 1943. 2,308,126 I SEALING PACKAGES Filed April 15, 1941 my. a

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' IN VENTO HOFTY E. Srovert BY LOUIS A. VonTil I Fig; 5

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 12, 1943 UlTED STATS T OFFECE SEALING PACKAGES tion of Delaware Application April 15, 1941, Serial No. 388,629

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to sealing packages. It has to do, more particularly, with a cap adapted to be used for closing the open top of a glass jar or other similar container.

At the present time, two different types of caps are commonly employed for sealing jars with the vacuum seal process. One type of cap known as a top seal cap embodies a body portion having a skirt which telescopes with the upper edge of the jar and which carries a gasket on the interior of its disk-like top which is adapted to seat on the upper edge of the jar. Vacuum created within the head space of the container at the time the cap is applied thereto is adapted to hold the cap in position. This type of seal is satisfactory if the upper edge of the jar is formed properly. However, it often happens that the upper edge or rim of the jar is wavy and the gasket may not properly seat thereon so that the jar will not be hermetically sealed. Furthermore, during shipping, stacking, et cetera, the jar may be subjected to forces which will cause the gasket to unseat from the upper edge of the jar, thereby losing the vacuum.

The other type of cap is known as a side seal cap and embodies a body portion having a depending skirt which telescopes with the upper end of the jar and which is provided with a gasket adapted to contact with the side surface of the jar and to hermetically seal the jar at this point. The seal may be produced by a friction fit or by deforming the skirt of the cap to cause it to positively grip the container. This type of cap is preferred, ordinarily, to the top seal cap because the side surface of the jar is usually more perfect than the top edge or rim. However, it sometimes happens that the jar is out of round, and this makes it difficult for the gasket to properly contact therewith to produce a hermetic seal.

At the present time side seal caps, of the type referred to above which are adapted to have the skirts deformed or crimped to grip the containers, are used in vacuum sealing processes wherein vacuum is created at the time the cap is crimped on the container. It is necessary to subject the cap on the container to a crimping action with a suitable crimping chuck and this operation must be performed in a closed chamber which is ordinarily evacuated by mechanical means. It has been proposed to produce the vacuum within containers by steam jets which inject steam at the time the cap is applied or by means of steam chests which receive the containers, the caps being sealed on the containers while in the chests. However, although the side seal caps of the friction type can be used readily in this type of process, it is diflicult to use side seal caps of the mechanical grip type in steam evacuating processes because of the difficulty of crimping the cap on the container while steam is being injected or while in a steam chest.

Attempts have been made in the past to provide a single gasket within a cap which is adapted both to rest on the top edge or rim of the jar and to contact with the side surface of the jar to produce a hermetic seal at both points. However, these attempts have ended in failure from a practical point of view. The gasket must be very wide, requiring considerable material and, therefore, adding considerably to the expense of the cap. Furthermore, the cap must be bent considerably in an attempt to cause the gasket to conform to the shape of the top and side surfaces of the jar. In fact, it is practically impossible to cause the gasket to fit the jar at both points especially if the gasket is not of uniform thickness. Another disadvantage of this type of structure resides in the fact that during use of the sealed package, if one part of the gasket is disturbed in some manner and becomes loosened, it will affect the entire gasket structure and the seal will be lost.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a closure cap which combines the features of the side seal cap and the top seal cap so that a double seal will be obtained.

Another object of our invention is to provide a cap of the type indicated provided with a gasket that seats on the top edge of the jar and a gasket that engages the side surface of the jar, the two gaskets being separate from each other and being entirely independent so that the condition of the seal at one point will have no effect on the condition of the seal at the other point.

Another object of our invention is to provide a cap of the type indicated which is of such a nature that a minimum amount of material may be used therein so that the cost of the cap will be kept low.

Another object of our invention is to provide a cap of the mechanical grip type which is provided with two gaskets, as indicated above, and which is particularly applicable for use in connection with vapor sealing processes since the container can be sealed readily with the top gasket first and then the cap can be subjected to the crimping action later to cause the side seal gasket to function.

The preferred embodiment of our invention in the manner illustrated rim I311 of the container.

is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of a cap, embodying our invention, and which is adapted to have its skirt crimped on a container.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the cap on the container.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the cap after the skirt thereof has been crimped.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a slightly different type of container.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing a container like that of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing a slight modification of our cap.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a cap made according to our invention. This cap embodies a top portion Id having a depending skirt 2d. The skirt 2d comprises a downwardly and outwardly extending portion 3d, a horizontal portion 401 and a vertical portion 5d. The portion 5d has an inwardly projecting flange 603 on its lower edge. A top seal gasket id is provided on the interior of portion Id. A side seal gasket 8:1 is carried by the flange 2d of the cap between portions 4d and 6d.

The cap is applied to the container 9d initially in Figure 2. The skirt thereof is merely telescoped over the upper end of the container in such a manner that the top seal gasket Id will contact and seat on the The gasket 8d will lie adjacent, but slightly spaced from the outer sealing surface lld of the container which is inclined inwardly. The cap is then subject to a suitable crimping device which will bend the skirt 2d of the cap in the manner shown in Figure 3 and will force the gasket 8d inwardly, compressing it between the skirt and the container so that it will tightly contact the sealing surface lld and conform thereto. This crimping action will also cause gasket id to tightly contact the rim of the container.

In Figure 4, we show a cap like that of Figure 2 but applied to a slightly different type of container. In this instance, the container Se is provided with a rim l3e which has a bead formed thereon. This head, as shown in Figure 5, will enhance the gripping action of the gasket 8e on the container.

In Figure 6, we show a cap in position on a container like that of Figure 3. The cap is the same as that shown in Figure 3 with the exception that the gasket 1 is disposed in an annular channel lg formed in the top portion I of the cap. By forming the channel lg for the gasket 1 the depth of the skirt 2 may be decreased. This will result in a saving of material since the chan-, 'nel lg can be formed by stretching the metal of the top portion. The channel for the top gasket may be formed in any of the caps previously described.

When a cap of the type shown in Figures 1 to 6 is used, the crimping or mechanical deformation of the skirt of the cap enhances the gripping action of the cap on the container. As stated previously, with this mechanical grip cap, however, it is necessary to subject it to a crimping chuck and this operation is difficult to perform with vapor vacuum sealing processes when caps of the type now in use are employed. However, with our new type of cap, this operation is greatly facilitated. When our cap is used for sealing a container, the vacuum within the container may be created by steam jets or by passing the containers into steam chests and the caps may be simultaneously applied. Some of the steam will be retained within the containers which will later condense, creating a partial vacuum and aiding in keeping the caps in position. The cap may be initially applied merely by positioning it on the upper end of the container with the top gasket in firm contact with the rim of the container but without crimping or deforming the skirt. However, it will be understood that the container is in vacuum sealed condition at this time. The vacuum will hold the cap down on the container with the top gasket in firm contact with the rim of the container. Later, the container may be subjected to the necessary mechanical pressure for crimping or deforming the skirt. This crimping or deforming operation need not be carried out in a closed or vacuum chamber, as in the prior art, since the container has already been vacuum sealed.

It will be apparent from the above description that we have provided a closure cap which combines the features of the side seal cap and the top seal cap. A double seal is, therefore, provided. If the seal fails at one point, the seal at the other point will still function. Because the two gaskets are entirely independent of each other, the condition of the seal at one point will have no effect on the condition of the seal at the other point. Furthermore, a minimum amount of gasket material will be required. Also the cap may be properly applied to the container with ease.

Various other advantages will be apparent from the preceding description, the drawing and the following claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. The method of sealing a container which comprises applying to the upper end of the container a cap having a top seal gasket and a side seal gasket while creating a vacuum in the container, the cap being applied in such a manner that the top seal gasket will contact with the upper edge of the container and the side seal gasket will be spaced from the side surface of the container, and then subjecting the cap to a bending action to force the side seal gasket in contact with the side surface of the container.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein steam is supplied in the upper end of the container before the cap is applied and Willcreate a partial vacuum Within the container which will hold the cap in position until the bending operation takes place.

3. The method of sealing a container which comprises applying to the upper end of the container a cap having a top seal gasket and a side seal gasket and creating a vacuum in the container, the cap being applied in such a manner that the top seal gasket will contact with the upper edge of the container to temporarily seal the. container, and then subjecting the cap to a bending action to'force the side seal gasket firmly in contact with the side surface of the container to permanently seal the cap thereon.

HARRY E. STOVER. LOUIS A. VON II IILL. 

